A review by nerfherder86
A Boy Called Dickens by Deborah Hopkinson

5.0

A wonderful picture book story of Charles Dickens' childhood, working hard all day in a shoe polish factory while his father (and with him, Dickens' mother and siblings) stayed in debtor's prison, and how that in particular and his poverty in general shaped what he wrote as an adult. And why he championed the poor. Fictionalized, with dialogue (amusing scene in factory where he's asked to tell a story to a coworker kid, and then yelled at by the foreman). It gives an excellent introduction to 19th century London and its conditions for the poor, in a picture book format, in simple text for children of today. Nice pen and ink and acrylic illustrations, kind of cartoony but also reminiscent of 19th century illustrations--a mix of caricature and realism that just works well, lots of blacks and grays and warm tones. No sources or references, not a full biography, but a well-written story that draws readers in, in oral storytelling style, using phrases like "Come along, now" and "That mystery must wait for morning" etc. Really cool book.